Manufacturing & The Economy

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 217,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.3%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. With this total, the U.S. has now recovered the total number of jobs lost during the recession.

Manufacturing employment changed little over the month but has added 105,000 jobs over the past year. Within the industry, durable goods added 17,000 jobs in May and has accounted for the net job gain in manufacturing over the past 12 months.